Midnight Drinks & Late Night Swims
by NJBC Gal
Summary: "Life is for deep kisses, strange adventures, midnight swims & rambling conversations." AU.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey everyone! The idea for this story came to me after I saw a quote that Nina Dobrev posted on her instagram which said: "Life is for deep kisses, strange adventures, midnight swims and rambling conversations." I immediately thought of Klaus and Caroline so I wanted to do a one-shot on it, but i've decided to split it into three parts now! Enjoy!**

**~O~**

"See you tomorrow, Caroline!" the older woman smiled, as she tugged her coat on tighter and waved to the young blonde woman.

"Bye Grace! See ya tomorrow!" she smiled, as she finished wiping the counter and put the rag down. The older woman gave Caroline a kind smile before heading out of the coffee shop. Caroline sighed, looking around the empty coffee shop and down at her watch. It was 11:30 and Tyler still hadn't come to pick her up. He had told her he'd be there at 10 but she hadn't heard from him since they talked that morning. She washed the rag and set it out to dry in the back. She made sure everything was off in the kitchen, before turning off the lights and heading back out front. She grabbed her phone from her purse and dialed Tyler's number, waiting as it rang several times. Finally, he picked up. She immediately heard techno music in the background and a lot of talking as well.

"Tyler?" Caroline asked, furrowing her eyebrows when she heard a female voice answer back.

"Nooooo, this is Haley! Who is this?" the girl, who was seemingly drunk, yelled into the phone.

"This is Caroline…his girlfriend," she stated, emphasizing the word, making sure the girl got it loud and clear. She wasn't sure who this Haley girl was but Tyler better have a damn good explanation for it.

"Girlfriend?" the girl laughed, "_I'm_ his girlfriend!" she giggled into the phone. Caroline let out a small gasp and she furrowed her eyebrows once more, letting out a nervous laugh.

"I'm sorry, I must've heard you wrong..Did you say you were his girlfriend? " Caroline questioned. She must've heard her wrong…Tyler wouldn't be cheating on her with some other girl. They'd been going out for a good three years now, and they were making plans on moving in together soon. The girl was drunk and she was probably just joking. Yeah, that was it.

"Yup," the girl said, emphasizing the "p" sound. "We've been dating for a few months now! Isn't that right Ty?" she exclaimed. Despite the loud music, she could heard Tyler's muffled voice in the background. She heard a few muffled complaints from Haley before she heard a voice on the other line once more.

"Care?" Tyler asked.

"Seriously?!" Caroline exclaimed, pacing back and forth.

"Caroline, I can explain...," he started, but was cut off by Caroline.

"Just tell me the truth. Are you cheating on me with that girl?" she questioned, as her hand played with the small diamond pendant on her necklace, a gift from Tyler on their 2 year anniversary. He didn't answer.

"Tyler, tell me. Now," she said again, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. There was a long pause and an audible sigh from his side.

"Yes, but I-,"

"No, Tyler. Don't try and give me some bullshit excuse, please. We're done, you can go and have fun with your little slut now," Caroline stated coolly, keeping the tears at bay.

"Carebear come on I-," he started, using the nickname he made for her when they started dating but was quickly cut off.

"Go fuck yourself," she muttered angrily into the phone before hanging up. She threw the phone into her purse, sitting down on one of the chairs in the shop. A single tear made its way down her cheek, but she wiped it away angrily. She wouldn't waste tears on Tyler. He obviously thought she wasn't worth anything when he was cheating on her with that Haley girl, so he wouldn't be worth her tears tonight. But she needed to do something tonight, something that would take her mind off of this. Her thoughts were interrupted by the dinging of the bell at the entrance, and a husky accented voice.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but notice you were open and I'm starving. I just got off a plane from Japan and I-," the man began saying as he walked towards her but Caroline put up her hand to motion him to stop.

"I'm sorry I-," he began again

"It's fine. I was actually just closing," Caroline answered, locking her eyes with the stranger's stormy blue ones. He was cute, with his short, curly hair and the business suit he was currently sporting.

"Oh, my mistake. Sorry for that then," he apologized as he gave a boyish grin to the blonde in front of him.

"No It's fine," she smiled. He gave her a dimpled smile before nodding, "Well I'll be off then." He gave Caroline a wave as he started for the door.

"Wait!" Caroline yelled, making the stranger stop in his tracks and turn to her.

"Yes?" he questioned.

"Wanna go somewhere?" she asked, making the stranger furrow his eyebrows as he let out a surprised chuckle.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked again. Caroline sighed, grabbing her purse and her coat as she stood up and walked over to him.

"Let's go somewhere. I know you don't know who I am and I don't know who you are, I mean for all I know you could be some crazy serial rapist or murderer, but honestly right now I really don't care. I've had a really bad night and I just wanna do something to take my mind off it because if not I'm gonna go crazy and-" Caroline stopped as the stranger put a finger up to her lips, immediately silencing her.

"I think you've already gone a little mad, love," he chuckled at the blonde's ramblings. He couldn't deny she was attractive with her blonde curls, cream colored sweater that fit her like a glove and dark jeans that clung to her body. Not to mention those mesmerizing blue-green eyes of hers. He moved her finger from her soft lips as she let out a small laugh.

"I guess I have," she said, looking down at the floor. "But, are you up for it?" she questioned, looking back up at him.

"Sure," he smiled. Caroline let out a delighted gasp and she smiled back at the stranger. She turned off the lights as they headed out the door. She grabbed the keys from her purse and locked the door, then turning to face the handsome stranger.

"So where to?" he asked, an amused smirk on his face.

"Anywhere," she smiled. He let out a chuckle.

"Going to have to be a little more specific than that," he answered. Caroline sighed and shrugged.

"I mean it, anywhere. I'm up for a little adventure," she answered. He nodded, before pointing to the black town car in front of him. "Shall we?"

"Seriously? You have your own personal driver?" Caroline questioned, as a man with salt and pepper hair stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the door for them.

"What can I say, I'm an important man," the stranger smiled, as he motioned for Caroline to get in first, which she did. The stranger followed after her, closing the door and giving the driver an address she wasn't really familiar with. It gave her a nervous, anxiousy feeling in her stomach but she honestly didn't care. All her life she'd always planned everything she was going to do and never strayed from her plans. But tonight was going to be different. She'd spent too much time being a complete neat-freak and she wanted to enjoy herself and forget about that two-timing asshole of an ex-boyfriend.

"I hope you're not taking me to some sort of creepy warehouse where you're gonna keep me hostage," Caroline joked as they began their drive. The blue-eyed stranger gave her a sideways glance and raised his eyerbrows at her.

"Who ruined the surprise?" he joked back, which earned a laugh from Caroline.

"So what's your name Mr. Important Man?" she asked.

"Niklaus Mikaelson, but you can call me Klaus," he answered.

"I'm Caroline. Caroline Forbes," she replied.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Caroline," he smirked, to which Caroline nodded.

"Seriously though, where are you taking me?" she asked.

"You'll see."

**~O~**

Half an hour later, they reached their destination. They stepped out of the car and Caroline took in her surroundings. They were somewhere in the suburbs, that was for sure, but this place was a bit more isolated than that maybe more on the outskirts of town. It was a small, one story building with a red neon sign that said "Jenna's Bar and Grill".

"A bar, seriously?" Caroline asked, raising an eyebrow at Klaus who shrugged in response.

"What can I say? I'm hungry and I want a drink. Besides, you look like you could use one as well," he answered as he started walking up to the building. Caroline huffed, but followed suit behind him. They stepped inside and the smell of beer and fried food infiltrated her senses immediately. There were men playing pool in one corner of the bar and others sitting at their tables with a beer in their handed as they talked and laughed, while the sound of "Thriller" filled the background, the music emanating from the jukebox. Klaus grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the bar, where they both took a seat at the stools.

"Well, look at what the cat dragged in," the bartender smirked, as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Jenna, looking lovely as always," Klaus answered, winking at the brunette.

"Yeah yeah yeah, put it in writing," she teased, as she wiped her hands on her apron before placing them down on the counter, "so what brings you this side of town?"

"Just got back from a business trip and I was looking for a place to eat. I walk into this lovely lady's coffee shop but she was closing so I decided to come here," he answered.

"And why is she accompanying you?" the brunette asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What can I say? My good looks won her over," he joked, as he turned to Caroline who shook her head and laughed.

"Well sweetheart, you watch out for this one. He's a heartbreaker," Jenna winked at Caroline.

"Don't go ruining my reputation, Jenna!" Klaus said to Jenna, who only pursed her lips and rolled her eyes.

"So what can I get you both?" she asked. Klaus motioned for Caroline to go first.

"A Heineken," Caroline answered

"One for me as well and some buffalo wings and fries please," Klaus replied. Jenna nodded as she took their order and went to serve their drinks.

"So, a beer? I thought you'd like some fruity drink or a cosmopolitan," Klaus stated, as he turned to Caroline.

"And I didn't take you for a Buffalo wings type of guy. I thought it was fish and chips," Caroline noted.

"A bit stereotypical don't you think?" he asked.

"I could say the same," she quipped.

"Touché," he smirked in response. Jenna came by and placed their beers in front of them before heading back to give the order for Klaus's food. Klaus raised his glass to Caroline, "Cheers to going to bars at midnight with random strangers."

Caroline nodded and laughed, "To going to bars at midnight with random strangers." They clinked their glasses before both taking big sips of their drink. They both set their drinks down and Caroline turned to Klaus.

"So why are you such an important man?" she asked. Klaus looked up from his drink and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You said you were an important man. So what do you do? Are you like a prince from some unknown country or some British intelligence agent or something?" she asked, resting an arm on top of the bar counter. Klaus chuckled at her answers and shook his head.

"No, love, though those would seem like pretty great jobs. I'm actually the CEO of a car company in Britain, Hybrid Motors. I've been travelling all across Europe and some parts of Asia so that I can finalize the deals to bring my cars over to them. And that's also what brings me here to the US, besides my younger sister's baby shower," he replied.

"You have a sister?"

"And 3 brothers," Klaus nodded.

"And they all live here or?" Caroline asked.

"My eldest brother Finn lives somewhere in the South of France with his wife Sage, and their two kids. My other older brother Elijah splits his time between London and here in New York since he's getting married to his wife Katherine soon. Meanwhile my younger brother Kol is somewhere in California trying out an acting career and my sister Rebekah lives here with her husband Stefan," Klaus answered. Caroline's eyes were wide, her mouth forming a perfect 'O' as she listened to him.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in. So why are you the only one still living in England?" she asked. Klaus took a sip of his beer and shrugged. "It's where I've grown up, plus it's a beautiful, cultured city while New York is highly overrated."

"Hey!" Caroline exclaimed, "I'm a proud New Yorkan so watch your mouth! And besides, saying things like that in a bar like this is gonna get your ass kicked."

"Don't worry, love. These people all know me and my dislike for the city," Klaus answered, before he turned to Jenna, "isn't that right?"

Jenna looked up from the drinks she was making and nodded, "It's true. He's made it very clear, but we still manage to deal with him." She gave them a smile before turning back to her order.

Klaus took another sip of his beer before setting it down, and pointing at Caroline. "What about you? What's made your night so horrible?" he questioned. She scoffed and let out a small laugh before grabbing her beer, "I'd rather we not touch that subject." She pressed her lips together before putting the glass to her lips and taking a long sip.

"Oh, now that's not fair is it? I told you about why I was so important, it's only fair that you tell me why you wanted to get your mind off something," he responded. Caroline sighed as she placed her drink on the counter. She looked down at her lap and shook her head.

"Have you ever realized how blind you've been to what's going on in your life? Like, you try so hard to believe that everything's perfect and happy…but then one thing happens when everything comes crumbling down and you realize you've been living a lie?" she asked, raising her gaze to meet Klaus's. He pressed his lips together and nodded.

"Well, that's what happened. I'd been dating my boyfriend for three years and though I always thought we were so happy, there was a part of me that knew we weren't really like connected you know? But I shrugged it off; I didn't want my insecurities and worries to get the better of me. Anyways, today he was supposed to pick me up at 10 yet it was 11:30 and he still wasn't there, so I decided to call him. Long story short, I find out he's been cheating on me for the past few months with some girl named Haley and all along he'd been making plans with me for us to move in. So yeah, that's my sob story," she stated quickly, grabbing her glass and chugging the remainder of her drink, blinking several times to prevent the tears that formed in her eyes from showing. She set the glass down hard and looked straight at him with her light blue eyes, "Now you know why I wanted to get out of there so badly."

He nodded before taking a sip of his drink once more and setting it down on the counter.

"Want to hear my sob story? I'm sure it'll make you feel much better about yours," he stated drily.

"I doubt that, but okay," she said hesitantly.

"Well, my clan of siblings and I obviously had a mother and father at some point, right? I mean, if you could even call them that," he said bitterly, letting out a small scoff before continuing.

"We were a wealthy family. My mother's father had been a famous architect and my father was a business tycoon; we always had everything we wanted and we looked like the picture perfect family. However, behind closed doors, all was not well. Besides the fact that my younger brother Kol had always been rebellious, due mostly to the fact that he spent his time with me, my father and I were constantly arguing. Ever since I was a child, we never had a good relationship. Our mother forced me to try and get along with him, but as I grew older our arguments grew worse and more physical."

At this Caroline's eyes widened, to which Klaus only shrugged in indifference.

"Any child has disagreements and arguments with their parents, but I honestly think none were as bad as the ones my father and I had. And as a child, and even when I was growing up I always wondered why. Then, when I turned 18 I finally found out why. It turns out, I wasn't his son. My mother had had an affair with some architect at her father's firm, and I was the product. My father was furious and kicked me out of the house and disowned me," Klaus said, as he grabbed his drink and finished it, slamming the glass down on the counter.

"No father should ever treat their child that way, regardless if they're not their child by blood. That was cruel," Caroline responded. She couldn't imagine what a young Klaus had felt when the only father figure he'd known, regardless of their heated arguments, kicked him out and disowned him. It was heartbreaking and made her breakup with Tyler seem pathetic in comparison.

"Yeah, well that was Mikael for you. That sadistic old bastard," he muttered bitterly, staring off for a few seconds, before turning his head to face Caroline once more.

"Anyways, as you can see I worked my way up from that, but it wasn't without the help of my brother Elijah who not only gave some money to get my business started when I was struggling with several jobs, but joined me in that company once it was established. I owe him everything. It's because of him that I'm here at this bar next with such a beautiful woman," he said, his tone lighter as he gave Caroline a smirk.

"What a charmer," she laughed. Klaus furrowed his eyebrows and grinned, "I was referring to Jenna, of course." He chuckled heartily as he saw Caroline's expression turn into one of shock, as she reached over and slapped his arm.

"Jerk!" she laughed.

Klaus nodded with a smile before turning his head to the bar. "Jenna, I think we're gonna need another round. Actually, just keep them coming."

**~O~**

Two more hours had passed and by now, both blondes had lost count of how many beers they had. Klaus had gotten rid of his jacket and had loosened his tie and Caroline was getting giggly.

"So my brother Kol didn't think I'd do it, 'YOU'RE A COWARD NIK! YOU WON'T DO IT!' he yelled at me. And being the competitive teenager I was, I wanted to prove my younger brother wrong," Klaus stated, as he recounted a story from his childhood in England.

"No!" Caroline giggled, cupping her hands over her mouth, eyes wide. "You didn't!"

"Oh, but I did love! I ran across my whole neighborhood, in all my naked glory!" he chuckled as grabbed his glass, furrowing his eyebrows when he found it was empty. "Jenna, sweetheart, more beer!" Jenna walked up to them, a smirk on her lips.

"I think it's time I cut you two off," she stated, grabbing the glasses from in front of them.

"Aw, don't be such a party pooper!" Caroline whined, placing her arms down in the counter and giving Jenna a pleading gaze.

"Sorry kids," she smiled as she walked to the sink and placed the glasses inside.

"Buzzkill," Klaus muttered, which earned a small giggle from Caroline. A few seconds of silence passed as the song on the jukebox ended, and the beginning tune to "Benny and the Jets" began to play.

"Great song," Klaus commented, as he began nodding his head to beat of the song.

"I love this song," Caroline smiled, moving her head from side to side to the beat as well.

"_Hey kids, shake it loose a lemon bar say it gonna wanna take a feather," _Klaus began singing off key. Caroline turned to him and shook her head as she laughed.

"Those are not the words," she laughed. Klaus turned to face her and laughed as well. "Those are exactly the words." Caroline continued laughing and shook her head.

"Sorry lyric police, what are the words?" Klaus joked, raising an eyebrow at Caroline.

"_You're gonna hear a handsome music so the walrus sounds,"_ Caroline sang, closing her eyes and moving up and down to the beat.

"Walrus sounds?" Klaus half-asked, half-laughed as he looked at Caroline. Caroline gave him a smile before turning her body to face him, placing a hand down on the counter and lifting herself slightly of the stool as she moved towards him, singing.

"_Say Penny's no longer in a cement jet," _she sang. Klaus moved back slightly, taken aback by Caroline, but couldn't help but laugh.

"You're scaring me," he joked.

"_Oh, but you're so laced down_," she continued singing, as she sat back down, dancing slightly to the song. Klaus smirked as Caroline turned her head to him.

"_Buh, buh, buh, buh, Bennie and the Jets_," they both sang, smiling as they moved slightly towards each other, before setting themselves on their seats once more. The men and women playing pool at the other end of the bar turned to face them, shaking their head and laughing.

"_Ooh, in the wind and the waterfall_," Klaus sang off-key once more, closing his eyes tightly, singing the words passionately. "_Ooh baby she's a revocaine_!" he sang in a high-pitched voice, opening his eyes once more and looking at Caroline who laughed at his singing.

"_She's got electric boobs_!" Caroline sang, turning her head to Klaus once more.

"Boobs?!" Klaus asked incredulously, holding in his laughter.

"_And mohair shoes_!" she continued singing, not paying any attention to Klaus as she moved her head from side to side.

"_You know I read it in a magazine_!" Klaus sang, raising his voice higher at the end.

"_Oh ho_," they both sang, "_B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets_!" Caroline leaned her head back, laughing at their singing; Klaus laughing as well. The people around the bar began singing along softly and nodding their head to the rhythm, while enjoying the blonde's singing. Caroline moved her body up and down to the rhythm as Klaus hummed the tune, following Caroline's movements. He stopped and turned to the blonde in front of him, before getting up on the stool and up on the counter. Caroline let out a loud laugh, "What are you doing?!" she yelled.

"I'm getting up on the counter! Come on, join me!" he smiled, extending his hand out to her. She shook her head, laughing, as she placed her hand in his and got up on the counter as well.

"You're crazy!" she laughed as they stood on the counter, the other people in the bar beginning to crowd around them.

"Well, I'm not the one who asked a total stranger to spend the night with her. Now that's crazy!" Klaus commented, a smirk on his face.

"Oh whatever!" she said, with a roll of her eyes as she began dancing to the song once more. Klaus chuckled as he watched Caroline dance, before joining in too.

"_She's got electric boots! A mohair suit! You know I read it in a magazine, oh ho, B-B-B Bennie and the Jets_!" the blondes sang, as the crowd that formed around them sang along. Caroline raised her hands up above her head as she moved her body from side to side, to the beat of the song.

"Bennie!" they sang, the crowd singing back to them. "Bennie! Bennie and the Jets!" the crowd sang along with them in unison. The tune continued playing as Klaus and Caroline turned to each other, dancing with Klaus moving his body from side to side and Caroline moving her hips to the beat of the song. They laughed as the crowd continued cheering them on.

"You guys are awesome!" they heard someone say and continued laughing. Jenna, who had been watching the spectacle and occasionally sang along from behind the bar, tapped Klaus's leg.

"I'm closing soon, so wrap it up!" she yelled at him, to which Klaus nodded. He got off the bar, turning to offer his hand to Caroline who was still dancing along to the song. She tilted her head back laughing as she thanked everybody and took Klaus's hand, getting off the bar and stepping onto the stool. But in her drunken haze, she almost slipped. Klaus immediately grabbed her by her hips and brought her down to the floor, their bodies pressed against each other.

"Woops!" Caroline giggled as she met Klaus's gaze, the laugh dying on her lips as she took in his serious expression.

"That ex of yours is a bloody fool for letting a woman as beautiful as you, go," he stated solemnly. His eyes searched hers for some sort of response, but before he could say anything else, he felt Caroline's lips on his; they were soft and inviting. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Before the kiss could deepen however, Jenna interrupted them.

"I'm closing, kids! Get a room!" she half-exclaimed, half laughed. The two quickly separated, with Caroline looking down at the floor in embarrassment, blushing, and Klaus giving Jenna a lopsided grin.

"Till next time sweetheart!" he winked at brunette bartender, who only shook her head in response as she waved goodbye. He grabbed Caroline's hand softly as he led them out of the bar, where Klaus's town car was waiting.

"I'm sorry about the kiss," Caroline stated.

"Don't be, Caroline. I enjoyed it, didn't you?" he asked, as they walked to the car. She pressed her lips together and shrugged.

"I did, it was great. Wonderful, really I mean it was probably one of the best kisses I've ever had but I just broke up with my boyfriend and I-,"

"You feel as if it was some sort of rebound? I don't feel it was. Look, love, in the few hours we've spent together I've connected with you in a way I've never connected with anybody. I've shared stuff with you that usually takes me years to tell someone, or hell! I don't even say anything! I know you feel the connection between us, so don't try and think of it as some 'rebound' because it's not. I leave on a flight back to London tomorrow at 6pm after I'm done with my sister's baby shower, so why don't we make the most of tonight?" he said, as he took both of her hands in his and looked at her. She looked down at their hands, and then back up at him, meeting his gaze. She knew that he was right. In the few hours she'd spent with this man, she'd felt more connected to him than she did with Tyler in the 3 years they were together. It was easy to talk to him about anything, even her very recent breakup, which though it hurt, it was starting to fade away little by little thanks to the help of the handsome, blue-eyed man standing in front of her. The singing and dancing inside the bar made her realize that, that was the most fun she'd had in a long time…years maybe. And all of it, was thanks to him. Hearing that he was going back to London tomorrow did make her sad, she didn't want him to go. But he was right and she wanted to make the most of what they had for the night.

She smiled at him and nodded.

"Ever gone swimming in a lake before?"

**~O~**

**AN: So, that's it for the first part. I'll have the second part uploaded by sometime this week! I know Klaus maybe seemed a little OOC with the whole admitting his past with his family to Caroline after knowing her for only a few hours, but I just wanted it to fit with the story and with the fact that they feel that they have such a strong connection after such a small period of time. The scene of them singing and dancing at the bar was from the movie "27 Dresses" which I absolutely love (Katherine Heigl is great and James Marsden is ridiculously hot!) and it's also one of my favorite scenes from the movie. If anybody wants to see the scene then Youtube "Bennie and the Jets 27 Dresses". Hope you all enjoyed it and remember to review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey everybody! So as I promised, here is the second part of Midnight Drinks and Late Night Swims! I might just start writing the third part tonight as well, seeing as how i'm a nervous wreck because tomorrow I get my IB scores, and I find out whether I get the IB Diploma or not. For those of you who haven't heard of IB, it's a rigorous program that's offered in high schools in which what we do is basically take hard classes ( I guess they could be considered college level? I don't really know, but they are pretty hard) and at the end of our Senior year, we test out in all of the classes we took. So i'm pretty nervous about that! But anyways, enough about me! Hope you all enjoy this chapter! **

**~O~**

"You're out of your mind," Klaus chuckled, as the driver arrived at the location Caroline had given him. The blonde gave him a sideways glance and shrugged.

"Maybe I am, but it's going to be fun," she smiled, as the car came to a stop. Her smile widened and she quickly opened the door and rushed out of the vehicle. Klaus chuckled once more and placed a hand on his driver's shoulder.

"Mate, I think you can have the rest of the night off," he stated. The man turned his head to him and furrowed his eyebrows.

"But how will you get back to the city? I don't mind staying here and waiting. It's my job after all," the man commented.

"Nonsense. It's almost 2:30 in the morning, and I'm sure you have a wife and children to get back to. I wouldn't want to keep you from them any longer. Besides, I can always call for a cab," Klaus responded. The man parted his lips, hesitant, before closing them again and nodding.

"Yes, Mr. Mikaelson. Thank you," the older man answered, giving the younger man a kind smile. Klaus nodded in response, patting the man on the shoulder. He stepped out of the car, getting his suitcase from the trunk before slamming the trunk shut and giving it a small tap to let the driver know that it was alright for him to leave. He grabbed the suitcase and made his way over to Caroline, who was standing at the edge of the lake, staring off into the night. He placed the suitcase nearby, and walked over to her.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she questioned, as she continued staring at the view in front of her. Because there were no city lights, it was much easier to see the clear night sky; the moonlight shone down on the lake, giving it a serene ambience. Klaus turned to look at Caroline as she spoke. The soft moonlight illuminated her face as well, giving her a beautiful glow. Her hair formed a golden halo around her, making her look almost angelic.

A smile formed on his face and he nodded. "Yes, it is."

She felt his piercing gaze on her and she looked down at the floor, laughing softly, before looking up to meet his gaze.

"You weren't even looking at it," she stated.

"I was looking at something far more beautiful," he answered. Caroline bit her bottom lip as she felt a blush creep up her cheeks at his words. It was the first time in a long time she'd heard those words from someone. Well, it wasn't that Tyler never called her that because he did. But whenever he did, she didn't feel the meaning behind it. She never felt like he actually meant it. Hearing Klaus say it however, she felt butterflies in her stomach. She could feel he meant it, not only because of how he said it, but the look in his eyes. It was so honest and full of emotion, it took her breath away.

"Such a charmer," she teased.

"I try," he said, winking at her.

"So let's jump in!" she exclaimed, attempting to make the mood lighter and not so...Intense. As her hands gripped the ends of her sweater, she gave Klaus a pointed look.

"What?" he chuckled.

"Hello, turn around!" she urged him. Klaus chuckled once more.

"Love, I have seen my fair share of half naked and naked women before. There's no need to be shy," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Good for you," she commented sarcastically, "Now turn around!"

Klaus sighed and put his hands up in surrender. "As you wish." He turned away from Caroline, beginning to strip himself of his jacket and dress shirt. The moment Klaus turned around, Caroline quickly took off her sweater. The cold air hit her skin and she let out a squeal.

"It's cold!" she cried, beginning to regret the decision.

"It was your idea, love," Klaus answered as he began unbuttoning his pants, "besides, like you said, it's going to be fun." Caroline sighed in resignation and took off her boots, followed by her jeans.

"Just know, if I develop hypothermia I'm blaming you!" Caroline stated.

"Again, your idea!" Klaus answered back, as he turned to face Caroline once again. He felt his breath hitch in his throat at the sight of her in her underwear. She wore a nude colored bra that was lined with lace at the sides, with matching laced panties. She had her hands together in front of her, her bottom lip tugged between her teeth as she looked at him expectantly. As he had said before, Klaus had seen his fair share of naked and half naked women in his past. They had all been beautiful women with perfect bodies, most of them being models or some just being women he met at clubs, but their beauty could not compare to Caroline's. Her beauty outshined theirs extensively. Whether it was the smooth creamy skin that he wanted to touch so badly, the golden tresses he wanted to run his hands through as he kissed her, her mesmerizing eyes, or her beautiful body; there was just something about her that made her so much more stunning than all the other women he had ever met or been with.

"See something you like?" Caroline joked.

"Oh, most definitely," he answered, as he finally met her gaze.

"Well, take a picture. It'll last longer!" she called over her shoulder, as she made her way over to the edge of the lake. She put left foot into the water hesitantly, and quickly retracted it, running back to Klaus.

"Oh my god, it's freezing! I can't do this!" she squealed, as she ran up to him. A devious smirk formed on his lips and he ran towards her, wrapping an arm around her waist and picking her up.

"No!" she squealed, as Klaus walked into the lake, "put me down!" She slapped his arm in some hope that he would release her.

"If you say so," he answered, as he released his hold on her and she fell into the lake with a small splash. He laughed at her shocked expression as she sat in the lake, covered in water.

"You asshole!" she yelled, as she stood up.

"You said to put you down!" he continued laughing.

"Not drop me!" she fumed. She crossed her arms over chest and glared at him. She wanted to be at least a little bit mad, but she couldn't help it. His laugh was too damn contagious, and with those adorable dimples of his...She couldn't resist. A smile formed on her lips and she laughed along with him.

"I mean honestly, you should've seen your face! It was like-," But his sentence was cut off as Caroline pushed him back, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the cold water.

"I think I have pretty good idea," she giggled. He narrowed his eyes at her, standing up quickly and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Seriously?!" she exclaimed as she pounded her fists on his broad back.

"You fight like a hamster, Caroline," he chuckled as he walked deeper into the lake.

"Yeah well this hamster's gonna hurt your really bad if you don't put her down soon! And I mean put me down! Don't throw me into the water again, Klaus! Or I'll take you down with me!" she yelled at him. Klaus paid no attention to Caroline as he continued walking deeper into the lake, chuckling at her comments. Finally, he reached the point where he figured it would be best for them to lay in. He wrapped an arm around Caroline once more, and set her down in front of him, their bodies close like they had been a while ago at the bar before they had kissed. Her hands were pressed against his chest, as his arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her close. She looked up to meet his gaze, looking down just as quickly as she had looked up at him. His gaze was intense and it made her feel like some shy 13 year old on a first date.

He moved his hand up to her face, caressing her cheek before he grasped her chin softly and lifted her head so that she could meet his gaze once more.

"Klaus," she began to say but she was stopped as he bent down and pressed his lips against hers. She relaxed in his embrace, as her arms moved up to wrap around his neck. It was like his lips were made to fit against hers perfectly. His tongue delved into her mouth, exploring every inch of it. Caroline let out a soft moan and Klaus pressed them closer together. He captured her bottom lip with his teeth playfully, which earned a giggle from Caroline. They broke apart and Klaus pressed his forehead against hers.

"You're a glorious kisser," he smirked. Caroline smiled.

"You're not too bad yourself," she smirked in return, to which Klaus answered with a quick peck on the lips.

"So what about swimming?" she asked, as she motioned to the lake.

"I think it's rather cold and I rather them not find our bodies in the freezing water," he chuckled.

"Agreed," Caroline said with a smile.

"So I think that I'll go call a cab and have them take us to my place?" he asked. Caroline nodded in response.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said as he moved back and held his hand out to her. She placed her hand in his and they walked back to the shore of the lake. Caroline immediately ran to her clothes and slipped her sweater on. Klaus chuckled as he made his way to his clothes and grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed the cab service. He gave them the directions and they answered saying that they'd be there in 30 minutes.

"30 minutes?!" Caroline exclaimed, "Oh my god I'm going to freeze! Why'd you have to send your driver away?"

"Because he has a life, love. He had a wife and children to go home to and it was late. I didn't want to keep him out longer than necessary," he answered as he put on his pants and dress shirt. Caroline knew Klaus was right, she would've felt bad keeping the driver out this late. But she also didn't plan on freezing to death as she waited for a cab.

"I'll be sure to charge you with my hospital bill once I get hypothermia," Caroline said, as she put on her jeans. Despite the fact that the water drenched her clothing, she felt somewhat warmer. She wrapped her arms around herself as she walked over to Klaus, who was slipping on his jacket. He shook his head at her.

"Why the dramatics, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Because it's cold!" she complained, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Do you want my jacket?" he asked, as he began to slip off his jacket, but Caroline shook her head quickly.

"No you'll freeze!"

"Then do you want me to keep you warm?" he said with a smirk on his face, as he opened his arms to her.

She laughed and shook her head. "No, it's fine. I guess 30 minutes won't kill me." Klaus shrugged in response and grabbed his suitcase as both of them walked over to the edge of the road, and waited. Several minutes of silence passed, the only sound heard being the soft blowing of the wind. The wind added to the cold weather and Caroline's teeth began chatter. Right away, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. She rested her back against his chest.

"Thank you," she said, as she rested against him comfortably.

"Anytime, sweetheart."

**~O~**

The cab service was true to their word and was there in half an hour. The blondes got inside the cab and Klaus gave them the directions to his place. Another half hour later, the cab was parked outside his apartment building. He paid the fare and they both stepped out of the vehicle. Klaus grabbed his suitcase from the trunk and held his arm out for Caroline to take. She smiled and wrapped her arm around his as they both walked inside the building. Klaus pressed the elevator key and the doors opened, allowing them to step inside. He pressed the number "20" and they stood in silence as the elevator made its way up.

"So, your apartment? I thought New York was highly overrated," Caroline said, as she repeated his earlier words.

"Oh, it is. But I do want to have my own place whenever I come and visit my siblings. I couldn't bear to stay in any of their houses knowing they're having sex with their significant other in the room next door. It's an image I rather not have imprinted in my brain, and it's sounds I could do without," he answered. Caroline giggled at Klaus's horrified expression at thinking about his brother and sister having sex with their partners.

"Thank you for laughing at my suffering," he muttered sarcastically, as the elevator dinged and the doors parted once more. They stepped out of the elevator and made their way to Klaus's door. He took out his key and opened the door. He motioned for Caroline to go first, and he followed after, turning on the lights.

"Wow, this is some place you have here," she commented, as she walked into the apartment. Her boots clicked against the wooden floor as she made her way inside the apartment. She gasped as she looked at the view. The windows reached from floor to ceiling, allowing a breathtaking view of Central Park from all around the apartment. The apartment was decked out in very warm colors, with light to dark brown wooden furniture and warm beige chairs and sofas. Several paintings hung around the living room, which Caroline quickly took notice of.

"These are amazing," she said as she examined the paintings. Klaus, who was setting his keys down on the coffee table and slipped off his jacket, nodded.

"Art is quite a magnificent thing," he commented.

"Do you paint?" she asked, as she turned to him. He shrugged.

"Occasionally, but it's nothing special," he answered, as he draped his jacket on the chair and walked over to the kitchen.

"I'll be the judge of that," Caroline responded, as she followed him into the kitchen.

"Want some water?" he asked as he brought out two cups.

"Yes, please. And if you don't mind, can I shower? I kind of want to get the lake water off me," she said.

"There's a hallway down that way, the bathroom is on the second door to your right and there's towels in there as well," he said, pointing Caroline in the direction of the bathroom, as he handed her a cup of water. She chugged it down quickly and nodded in thanks before making her way to the bathroom. She turned on the light and closed the door behind her. The walls were a light blue color, and the decorating was kept to a minimum. Besides the fact that Klaus probably never lived there, he was also a guy, and they put very little effort into decorating anything anyways. She stripped off her clothes and turned on the shower. She stepped inside and let out a delighted gasp as the warm water made contact with her skin. She stood there for a few moments and let the water cascade over her head and body, relaxing. After a few minutes, she looked around the shower to see what she could possibly use.

"Redken for Men Cool Finish Shampoo," Caroline stated as she grabbed the blue bottle an inspected it. She flipped open the cap and sniffed the contents. The smell was invigorating and minty, she thought as she shrugged and poured some into her hand. Though it was Men's shampoo and definitely not her usual John Freida shampoo, she felt disgusting to have the lake water clinging to her hair and body; desperate times call for desperate measures. She heard a soft knock on the door and she froze, as she heard the door open and Klaus's voice inside the room.

"I realized you don't have any clothes to wear, since they're soaking wet. So I'm leaving you some of mine here for you to put on," Klaus stated, feeling awkward as he walked inside the bathroom. The shower was covered by opaque glass sliding door, but he could still make out Caroline's naked silhouette inside. He looked away to keep his mind from forming any more inappropriate thoughts, and placed the clothes atop of the bathroom counter.

"Thank you," Caroline answered. Klaus nodded; though he was sure she probably couldn't see him and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him. As he was about to walk into the kitchen to serve himself another glass of water, he heard his phone ring in the living room. He groaned as he walked over to where the device was and saw the name. He pressed accept and put the phone up to his ear.

"Sister, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call so late at night?"

**~O~**

Ten minutes later, Caroline was done with her shower. She slid open the glass door and grabbed a towel and dried off before wrapping it around her body. Her eyes landed on the clothes Klaus had left for her and she let out a small laugh. The guy was offering her a pair of his boxers, along with one of his shirts. But…HIS BOXERS. It was sweet of him no doubt; because there was no way in hell she was going to wear her lake water drenched underwear, but also kind of awkward. However, the longer she spent pondering whether she should put them on or not, the colder she felt herself getting. She unwrapped the towel from her body and hung it on the metal rack that was on the door. She then slipped on the boxers, which she hoped hadn't been used before, and put on his shirt. Both were pretty baggy on her, but she didn't really care. She grabbed the towel once more as she opened the door to the bathroom, swiping her hair to one side as she continued drying it with the towel.

"Klaus?" she called out as she walked over to the living room.

"Rebekah, whether I'm seeing someone is none of your business," she heard Klaus saying. It was then Caroline noticed that the door to the terrace was open and Klaus was outside, his phone pressed to his ear and a glare set out to the night sky. She bit her bottom lip and stepped back, deciding it was best that she didn't interrupt his discussion. She walked back down the hallway that led to the bathroom, but passed the door, curiosity getting the better of her as she went to see what the other rooms had in store. It probably wasn't the most polite thing to do, she really shouldn't be snooping around his house, but Caroline Forbes was as curious as they got. Her hand wrapped around the door knob and she slowly opened the door. Her hand moved to the wall on her left, looking for the light switch. After several minutes, she flipped the switch and the lights flickered on. A gasp escaped her lips as she saw the room. There were various easels set around the room, some with the stark white paper staring back at her, and others full. A painting of a solitary snowflake caught her eye, along with various others that she couldn't distinguish. She walked up to the one with the snowflake and raised her hand, pressing her fingers against the paper. The painting was beautiful, but there was a sense of loneliness and sadness behind it. Had Klaus drawn these? What had led him to draw something so gloomy, she wondered as she continued to make her way around the room, inspecting the various paintings.

It was as she inspected the last drawing that her eyes landed on an object she hadn't held in her hands for several years. Her eyes widened and she walked over to it, her hand enveloping around the neck of the instrument and pulling it up to her. It was a beautiful mahogany guitar, and it looked like it'd been used in a while, so she wiped off some of the dust on the strings and the rest of it.

"I see you've found my art space," Klaus drawled. _Crap_, Caroline thought. Would he be mad at her and kick her out? She looked up to see him leaning against the doorway, a smirk in place and a glint of amusement in his eyes as he looked at her.

"These drawings are amazing, Klaus. It is definitely something special," she answered, guitar in one hand as she made her way over to him. He shrugged.

"Do you play?" he asked, motioning to the instrument in her hands. A sad smile formed on her lips.

"I used to. I haven't played in years. My dad taught me how to play when I was 8. He used to love playing guitar as he was growing up, and had always wanted to teach me. I picked it up really quick and I was always wanting to learn a new song so I could play it for him. I wanted to make him proud," she said, a melancholy tone in her voice.

"And what made you stop?" he asked softly. Klaus took notice of the change in her voice and demeanor, and he could only expect the worst.

"When I was around 12, we had moved to Queens. One night, some guys tried breaking into our house. My mom was freaking out, so my dad ran to my room and picked me up from my bed and took me to their bedroom. He told us to stay put and for my mom to call the police, and to try and warn the neighbors. He ran into their closet and brought out a gun. I started crying and I was screaming at him, telling him not to go. He gave me a smile and walked over to me, placing a kiss on my forehead. He lifted my head up so I could look at him and he smiled down at me, 'Don't worry sweetie, I'll be back in a jiffy,' he said." Caroline let out a sad laugh as she wiped away at the tears in her eyes. She took in a deep breath and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She hadn't talked about the incident since she had told the story to Tyler when they had first started dating.

"Caroline," Klaus said softly, as he placed a hand on her arm.

"It was no use. A few minutes after he'd left the room we heard the gunshots downstairs. By that time, my mom had called both the police and our neighbors. Once the robbers heard the commotion our neighbors were making and the sound of the police sirens in the distance, they freaked out and left. By the time my neighbors made it to our house, it was too late." A tear slid down her cheek but she wiped it away. She didn't want to cry in front of Klaus. It would only make her look weak, and she hated being weak.

"It's okay to cry, love," he said soothingly, as he moved to pull her into an embrace. She pushed back and shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said.

"Caroline-,"

"I am. I learned to accept my father's death a few years later. It's just...it's been a while since I talked about It," she answered. Klaus stayed silent, only rubbing Caroline's arm soothingly.

"I stopped playing the guitar after that. But I feel like it's time I start it up again," she said, a small smile on her lips as she looked at the instrument in her hand. She moved to the middle of the room, and sat down on the floor, Indian style. Klaus looked at her questioningly, raising his eyebrows. Caroline looked up at him and chuckled softly. Her hand patted the spot next to her as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're not up for another one of my performances?" she asked jokingly. Klaus chuckled, nodding in understanding as he moved over to her.

"I would be a fool to pass that opportunity up," he said, as she sat down next to her. Caroline gave him a kind smile before turning to the guitar.

"Hm, let's see if I can remember how it went. It was one of his favorite songs," Caroline mumbled, as she placed her hands on the strings, attempting to remember how the song went. After several minutes of trial and error, the soft strumming of the guitar filled the room, and it was quickly followed by Caroline's soft voice.

"C_lose your eyes, give me your hand, darlin',"_ she began singing, her eyes set down on the guitar, _"Do you feel my heart beatin'? Do you understand?" _She raised her gaze up to meet Klaus's.

"_Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming? Is this burning an eternal flame?"_ she continued singing. She offered Klaus a smile as she continued strumming the guitar, and let her gaze fall back down to the instrument in her hands. Klaus could only stay quiet as he listened to Caroline's singing. Her voice was beautiful.

"_I believe it's meant to be, darlin'. I watch you when you are sleeping, you belong with me_." Caroline felt her cheeks burn red, feeling Klaus's gaze on her. Not only was she singing again (except this time they're partially sober), but she had just told him the story about her dad's death. She didn't know why she'd shared that with him, especially since they'd just met each other. But it was then that Klaus's earlier words came to mind: **I've connected with you in a way I've never connected with anybody. **That's what made everything simple, that's why it was so easy for them to admit such private things to each other. It was the first time in her life Caroline had felt a connection like that.

"_Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming? Is this burning, an eternal flame?" _Her voice rose slightly as she continued strumming.

"_Say my name, sun shines through the rain. Of all life, so lonely, then come and ease the pain. I don't want to lose this feeling, ohhh ohhh."_

When she finished playing the final chord, she looked up at Klaus again. He stayed silent for a few seconds before a smile formed on his face.

"That was amazing, Caroline," he said. Caroline smiled back and tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"Thanks," she said.

"I'm sure your father would be proud of you, and I'm sure he never would've wanted you to stop playing," he continued, as he stood up and offered his hand to her. She took it and stood up as well, handing the guitar to him. He grabbed it and put it back on its stand.

"Well, um I guess I should go now," Caroline stated. Klaus turned around, his eyebrows furrowed, confused.

"Why, love?" he asked.

"I mean it's like 3:30 in the morning and i'm sure you need your sleep for your meeting tomorrow and stuff so I mean I should probably get home. I'll call a cab and hopefully they'll be here soon and I-," Caroline rambled as she walked to the doorway. Klaus immediately walked over to her and grabbed her hand.

"Sweetheart, I'd be insane to let you go out by yourself so late at night. Besides, it's starting to rain. Just, stay the night," he reasoned.

"I don't want to intrude."

"Caroline, you're not intruding. I want you to stay here," he answered. Caroline looked up at him, unsure.

"Are you sure?" she questioned.

Klaus smirked as he released Caroline's hand and cupped her face with his hands, looking into her eyes before locking his lips with hers in a sensual kiss. His lips left hers and he rested his forehead against hers as he had done earlier.

"I'm sure," he smirked. Caroline bit her bottom lip and smiled.

"Come, I'll show you to the guest room," he stated, as he moved back and extended his hand out to her. She placed her hand in his and followed him. However, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. When he said she could stay, a part of her hoped that they'd be sleeping on the same bed. No, she didn't plan on sleeping with him (though she wouldn't complain either), but after how personal they'd been with each other and the kisses they'd shared, she'd hoped that maybe they'd sleep together. Without a doubt, she'd developed a small crush on him throughout the night; even though she'd broken up with Tyler about 5 hours ago. Throughout her experiences that night and the time she'd spent with Klaus, she came to realize she'd stopped being in love with Tyler a long time ago. She'd only been in love with the idea of being in love with him, and imagining a perfect life together. There was a part of her that still loved him, he had been her first love, but she wasn't in love with him anymore.

And now, Klaus had walked into her life, and the one night adventure she'd so eagerly wanted had happened to produce something more. He was charming, sexy, romantic, and fun and she hadn't felt this alive in so long, that she only wished she could hold onto it just a bit longer.

"Here it is," he stated, bringing her out of her thoughts, as he opened the door and turned on the light to the room. It was painted in the same warm beige color of the living room and adorned with dark wooden furniture, including the bed.

"Thanks," she said softly, as she walked over to the bed, and sat down.

"Well," Klaus began, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, "Goodnight Caroline. I'm gonna be waking up at around 8, due to the fact that my meeting's at 9:30. Do you want me to wake you then?" he asked.

Caroline sighed and nodded.

"Alright then, goodnight," he said, as he began to head out the door.

"Klaus," she called out. He turned his head to look at the blonde beauty sitting on the bed.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he questioned.

"Stay."

Klaus turned around to face Caroline immediately. He furrowed his eyebrows at her. He was sure he hadn't heard her right. But Caroline looked at him and shrugged, giving him a small smile. She stood up and pulled back the covers, then laying back down on the bed and pulling the covers up. Klaus smiled and moved his hand to turn off the light. He made his way over to the other side of the bed and slipped in, lying down next to Caroline. She moved closer to him and laid her head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"Goodnight Klaus."

"Goodnight Caroline."

**~O~**

**So, did you all enjoy this chapter? I really liked writing it, so i'm hoping you liked reading it! Remember to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey everybody! So yay I FINALLY had time to update! I'm sorry I hadn't uploaded a new chapter I've just been busy with college orientation, some more college stuff and then I went on vacation, and it's all been back to back so I haven't really had time to write except for today! Anyways, originally this was going to be the last part but i'm going to split this last part into two parts! Not to mention, the next chapter may not necessarily be the ending of their story.. ;) Hope you guys like it!**

**~O~**

It was the soft stirring of the blonde in his arms that woke Klaus up. He opened his eyes to find Caroline turning around, her back to him and her head resting on his arm as her hand rested lightly on his. A smile graced his features as he looked on at her, before turning to the side to see the alarm clock. It was exactly 8 o clock. With that, he proceeded to slide his arm out from underneath Caroline cautiously, so he wouldn't wake her up. Once his hand was free, he slowly got out of bed and made his way over to the other side. He looked down at Caroline, who slept peacefully. He pulled the covers up a bit more before he made his way out of the room and straight to the shower.

Once he turned on the shower, he stood underneath the cascading water to think about everything that had happened last night. It was amazing how one night really had changed everything. All he had expected of this trip to New York was to have his business meeting, go to Rebekah's baby shower, and go back to England and continue being the workaholic he'd been for the past few years. But meeting Caroline had changed everything. She was a breath of fresh air compared to the women he was used to. Besides the fact that she was gorgeous physically, she was beautiful on the inside. For someone who had been through something as hard as hearing her father get murdered, and having her boyfriend cheat on her when they'd been together for so long, she still managed to have a smile on her face. She was strong, beautiful, and full of light. Being around her just made everything fall into place. Now, Klaus wasn't one to say that It was "love at first sight" or any of those cliché comments, but he knew that whatever there was between him and Caroline, was like nothing he'd ever really felt before. There was a connection there that was unexplainable.

Then, a thought trailed into his mind and he closed his eyes tightly; he was going back to London later that night. There was a possibility that he wouldn't see Caroline again. A possibility that last night, one of the best nights of his life, was soon going to be only a lasting memory of the time he had with her. He shook his head and groaned. 10 minutes later, he was done and headed to his bedroom to get dressed. He slipped on a pair of boxers and a crisp white shirt that hung on his closet, before reaching for a pair of dress pants and putting them on as well. He grabbed a belt that hung on his belt rack and slipped it on. As he draped a dark blue tie over his shoulder, he heard the front door slam shut. Klaus's eyes widened slightly and he rushed out of his room and straight to the guest room.

The bed had been made, and it was lacking a certain blonde. His clothes were folded neatly atop of the comforter. He made his way to the bathroom where Caroline's clothes had been to find that they were gone as well, along with their owner. He rested against the doorway and ran a hand through his tousled hair and let out a loud sigh. She was gone.

**~O~**

Caroline woke up to the sound of water running. Her eyes fluttered open and she took in her surroundings. Everything that happened the night before rushed to her. She sat up on the bed and buried her head in her hands. It had honestly been one of the best nights of her life…but she had just broken up with Tyler. And no matter how much Klaus said that he didn't feel that he was being the rebound guy, she couldn't help but still feel that way, even though she knew that the connection she felt with him wasn't something she would feel with some random guy she was just using to get over Tyler. But then again, this random guy wasn't just any Average Joe. He was successful, handsome, had his own company and oh yeah, didn't live in the same state; let alone the same country. And he would be going back to London tonight. She had just gone through this breakup with Tyler; she would spare herself the heartache.

She got out of bed and stretched her arms, before turning back to make the bed, returning it to the state it was in the night before. Minutes later, when she heard the water stop running and Klaus closing the door to his bedroom, she slipped out of the room and headed straight to the bathroom, where clothes from the night before were. She took off Klaus's clothes and put on her own, then making her way back to the guest bedroom and folding his clothes and setting it down on the bed. She walked out of the room once more and stepped out into the hallway. She sighed, turning her gaze to Klaus's bedroom door. _You can stay,_ her subconscious told her.

But she knew better, and she wouldn't.

She grabbed her boots and once she was at the front door, she put them on. She grabbed her purse as well. She gave the apartment one last longing look before taking a deep breath and opening the door and rushing out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. The night before had been great and meeting Klaus had been…life changing. But she couldn't get caught up in this. They lived in two different countries…it would never work out. They would both be better off if they forgot about each other.

**~O~**

Klaus's meeting had been extremely successful. He met with the investors and they had been pleased with the final agreements. They signed the contract and Klaus was out of the building by 11. His driver from the night before was still his assigned driver for the day. He smiled kindly as the older man opened the door for him to step into the town car and closed the door. The man got into the driver's seat and met the younger man's gaze through the rearview mirror.

"Where to Mr. Mikaelson?" he questioned, as he turned on the car.

"Mystic Coffee Shop, from last night," Klaus answered. A small smile formed on the older man's face, knowing very well why the younger man had chosen that specific location. He nodded in understanding and made his way to the establishment.

**~O~**

"Here you go Ms. Ramirez! Your cortadito," Caroline smiled sweetly at the older Puerto Rican woman in front of her. Ms. Ramirez looked at Caroline through the large red glasses that were perched atop of her nose and smiled.

"Ay, thank you sweetheart," she said, taking the drink in her hand, and taking a sip of it. "Great as always."

Caroline once again smiled at the older woman. "Perfect. Have a good day, and say hi to Mr. Ramirez for me!"

"Of course I will, mija(mi-ha)! You know he misses coming here, and he says to tell you that he promises he'll be back once he finishes recovering from surgery," the woman answered as headed for the door, turning back to look at the blonde.

"I'll take him up on that promise," Caroline laughed, as she waved goodbye to Ms. Ramirez, and turned to Grace, who was coming from the kitchen with a fresh tray of brownies.

"Here, let me help you with that," Caroline said, as she rushed over to her co-worker and took the tray from her hands.

"Caroline, I may be 67 years old but that doesn't mean I'm some fragile old lady," she reprimanded, putting her hands on her hips and looking at the blonde pointedly.

Caroline sighed as she slid the small glass door and placed the tray of brownies inside the display window, turning to the older woman and shrugging. "I'm sorry Grace, I just want to help you as much as I can and some of these trays can get kind of heavy."

"I know sweetie, but you worry too much sometimes! I'll be fine! Now I'm going to go back to the kitchen and check on the cookies," Grace answered, as she turned on her heel and went to the back. Caroline looked around the coffee shop and couldn't help but smile. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd loved baking. Though her parents and family members told her it wasn't the best job choice, Caroline didn't listen to them. She stuck to her dream, and with the eventual support of her mother and Tyler, she was able to open her coffee shop. She chose that instead of a bakery because there were already several bakeries near her establishment. She made the coffee shop, and all the cakes, cupcakes, muffins, cookies, and brownies that were on display were made by her and Grace each morning. At that moment, the coffee shop had several customers sitting at the small tables either engaged in conversations with their friends or working on something in their laptop or Smartphone. She had achieved her dream, and she was extremely proud of it. In fact, next week was the coffee shop's one year anniversary and she was planning a party for the workers and costumers. She turned back to grab the large white binder that rested on the counter behind her and put it in front of her, flipping through the pages until she reached the planning page for the party.

"Decorations: check. Invitations: already set out in front. Need to pass by the market and get some cups," she muttered, biting on her bottom lip as she grabbed the pen next to her and scribbled down what she needed.

"Am I invited to this party of yours?" a very familiar voice spoke. Caroline lifted her gaze hesitantly to see Klaus standing in front of her, looking as handsome as ever in his business suit, with a smirk on his face as he looked on at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, setting down the pen and closing the binder.

"Do you make it a habit of leaving someone's house without saying goodbye?" he questioned, as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the counter.

"I had to leave, I had to open the coffee shop," Caroline answered as she set the binder in the back counter and turned to look at Klaus once more.

"Regardless of that, love, I offered you my hospitality last night. The least you could've done was said goodbye," he acknowledged.

Caroline shook her head, sighing. "Everything's just easier if you don't say goodbye."

"What are you implying, sweetheart?" he inquired, standing straight.

Caroline sighed once more, turning away from him and walking over to the doorway that led to the kitchen. "Grace, come out front please. I have to deal with something; I'll be back in bit."

"Don't worry dear!" the older woman replied, as she made her way out of the kitchen. Caroline smiled at her before turning on her heel and walking out from behind the counter motioning for Klaus to follow her outside.

"Why did you say that?" he asked.

"Because Klaus, this is it! Yesterday was an amazing night and I could honestly consider it one of the best nights of my life, but it was only meant to be a one night thing. You're going back to London tonight and I'm staying here in New York. We live different lives, it wasn't going to work out," Caroline exclaimed, her voice becoming softer at the end. She looked down at the floor, shaking her head. She sighed and looked back up at him.

"It was nice meeting you and getting to know you," she said, giving him a half-hearted smile, "Goodbye Klaus." She turned around, beginning to walk back into the coffee shop, when she felt a strong hand wrap around hers. She sighed and turned around to face Klaus again, his hand still wrapped around hers.

"Then let's not say goodbye just yet," he began, but Caroline shook her head.

"You said it yourself, last night was great. I could also consider it one of the best nights I've ever experienced. But how about we continue it into today? I do have my sister's baby shower at 1:30, and she said that it is imperative that I have a date," he continued.

"I have to stay at the coffee shop," she began, racking her brain for other reasons to not go with him. Spending the rest of his time in New York together would only prolong the goodbye, and would make it harder for her.

"Oh come on, Caroline. What are you so afraid of?" he asked, exasperated. _You, _ she thought as she stared at him. She had worn her heart on her sleeve before, and it had ended up with Tyler cheating on her. And in the short time she'd known Klaus, she knew that she was starting to like him. They had connected in a way she'd never connected with anybody else before, and it was scary. She didn't want to fall head first into something she wasn't sure would even work out.

"Please?" he questioned. Caroline gave him an 'are-you-serious' look, which Klaus answered with puppy eyes. Caroline immediately broke into a smile and she let out a small giggle.

"I cannot believe you just used the puppy eyes on me!" she laughed, pointing at him.

"So is that a yes?" he asked, his tone laced with hope. She looked at the coffee shop for several seconds, and then turned her gaze back to Klaus, who was awaiting her answer. She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Fine, but let me ask Grace if she's ok with handling the shop by herself and you obviously have to take me home so I can get ready. Deal?" she asked. He nodded in response. She motioned for him to stay outside while she went inside to talk to the older woman. She approached her and he saw her speaking and pointing over to him. The woman gave Caroline a kind smile and nodded at her. Caroline smiled at her and hugged her tight before disappearing into the back, appearing several minutes later with her stuff in hand. She walked out of the coffee shop and looked at Klaus.

"I'm all yours," she smiled. He smiled in response and walked over to the town car, where he opened the door for her. She slipped in and he followed after. A while later, the car pulled up at Caroline's apartment, and Caroline was greeted by a sight she was not prepared for.

"What is he doing here?" she muttered to herself, as she saw Tyler standing outside the door of the building, dressed casually in a grey v-neck and worn out jeans, with his hands buried in his pockets. He was waiting for her. At her comment, Klaus turned his gaze to the direction Caroline was looking in and he immediately knew what she was referring to.

"I'm guessing that's that fool of an ex boyfriend of yours?" he said, his tone slightly bitter. After spending only one night with Caroline, he was baffled at why Tyler would decide to cheat on her. Caroline let out a frustrated sigh and nodded as she turned to face Klaus.

"Do you want me to take care of it?" he questioned.

She shook her head. "I'm a big girl, I can do this." Her tone was joking, but he knew that she didn't really want to do this. She opened the door and stepped out, walking towards Tyler, who immediately turned to face her.

"Care I've been trying to reach you all night," he said quickly, walking over to meet her halfway but she immediately put her hand in front of him, causing him to stop.

"What do you want Tyler?" she asked.

He sighed. "Look yesterday was just a big misunderstanding. I-,"

"So you haven't been sleeping around with that slut for the past few months?" she questioned.

"No-I mean yes but-,"

"Then how is there a misunderstanding? You've been cheating on me with that Haley girl and that's that. We're over, Tyler. If you came here to give me some half-assed apology then you can forget it." She scoffed at him and tried to push past him but he reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Caroline, will you listen to me? I'm trying to talk to you," he said firmly, his tone showing his frustration.

She whipped her head to face him once more, "I'm done talking Tyler. I've given you 3 years of my life and that has amounted up to nothing. I don't want to waste another second with you." She struggled to escape his grasp, but he held on tighter.

"Tyler let me go," she said through gritted teeth.

"No."

"I'm sorry mate, does there seem to be a problem?" Both Tyler and Caroline turned to see Klaus walking over to where they both stood.

"Nothing that concerns you, so you can keep moving," Tyler stated.

Klaus chuckled. "Actually mate, this does concern me. If you didn't notice, she got out of my town car. You see, Caroline here is my date for a very important event this afternoon and I need her to be able to get inside her apartment and get ready."

Tyler turned to look at Caroline and scoffed. "You give me shit about Haley when you're seeing this guy? What a load of bullshit."

"Actually, you ignorant prick; she and I are just friends. She's done nothing wrong, unlike you who couldn't notice a great thing when he had it. Now, I'm afraid I'm wasting far too much time on this; so if you don't mind Caroline needs to get up to her apartment to get ready. I'd appreciate it if you'd release her," Klaus said firmly, a hard glare set on Tyler. Tyler clenched his jaw and nodded slowly, releasing Caroline from his grasp. Immediately, Caroline's hand reached up and slapped him hard.

"Fuck you," she spat angrily. Tyler scoffed, his jaw still clenched as he shook his head and walked away. Both blondes watched him walk away before turning to look at each other.

"Thanks," Caroline said softly.

"Anytime, sweetheart. You should go up and get ready, I'll be waiting down here," Klaus said. Caroline nodded and headed inside her apartment building, while Klaus got inside the town car.

"That was a very chivalrous act, Mr. Mikaelson," the driver commented, once Klaus was inside the car.

"What can I say? She's bringing out the best in me," he joked, as he reached for his phone. He looked for sister's name and quickly typed in a message.

_Bringing a date to your shower. Proud of me?_

He wasn't surprised when he got a reply almost immediately.

_For now! You'll have my final verdict once I meet her. Remember be here at 1, Nik!_

He replied quickly.

_Of course, I wouldn't dare be late your hormonal highness!_

He chuckled once he didn't get a reply, knowing his text had most likely irked his baby sister off a bit. Rebekah had always been the easiest one to be piss off, even when she was younger. He hoped Stefan was faring well with her constant mood swings. Poor bastard, what he gotten himself into?

**~O~**

Almost 45 minutes later, he heard the door of the apartment building slam shut and bouncing blonde curls heading to the town car. He reached out and opened the door, to reveal a flushed yet stunning Caroline. She was wearing formfitting, sleeveless yellow laced dressed that reached mid-thigh. It was cinched at the waist and showed off her curves.

"You look ravishing in that dress," he smirked, as she slid inside the town car.

"Thanks," she replied, as she placed her phone inside her handbag. He winked at her then leaned forward, towards the driver.

"To the Plaza hotel," he stated. The driver nodded and Klaus sat back down in his seat.

"The Plaza? Seriously?" Caroline asked with wide eyes.

"What can I say? Rebekah wastes no expenses," Klaus muttered.

"Obviously," Caroline responded.

Klaus chuckled, "I apologize in advance for my family. They're not an easy bunch."

"Well, I've dealt with you already so how much worse could it get?" she teased.

"Oh trust me, much worse. Watch out for my brother Kol, he's still in that horny teenage stage," Klaus commented.

"Oh, how old is he?" she asked.

"21," Klaus deadpanned, causing the blonde in front of him to burst out laughing.

"Thanks for the warning," she said through her laughter.

Klaus chuckled, "You're very welcome. I wouldn't want my date to be sexually harassed by my younger brother, now would I?"

"No, of course not," she giggled. Their laughter died down and they both turned away from each other, each looking out their respective windows, with one thought on their mind. Would this be the last time they were going to see each other? What was going to happen?

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, Caroline thought. They should've left it at the goodbye in front of the bakery, everything would've been so much easier that way. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the driver's voice.

"Mr. Mikaelson, we're here."

**~O~**

**AN: So how was it? I hope I didn't disappoint! Let me know what you think!**

**Also, cortadito is Cuban espresso — brewed with sugar — and then topped with some steamed milk. **


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